Isolated, Not Alone
by Unseen-Ender
Summary: When Roger tells Mello that he has to go to an isolation camp to learn "patience and solitude" it's enough to make him want to break everything in sight. When he finds out who he has to go with... Maybe death to all is an understatement.
1. There you are!

Alright, so... this is the long one that I've been working on. I hope you enjoy it! Please comment! I don't know what to fix if no one give me feedback!

--

Near sat precariously perched on the handrail of the stairs, making his toy airplane fly never endingly through the open air above the first floor. Below him children were running around the foyer and he took in their existence mentally, but not emotionally. Their little world had always carried on without him so why should he intrude now?

No one is this place seemed to mind him. In fact it seemed to most that he was merely decoration. His existence known only as a smear of white on the playroom floor and a name that appeared at the top of every list. Beyond that…

There was a noise from behind him and he took note that someone had just entered the hall. He listened carefully, but after a moment where he heard no crunch from a hard bar of chocolate he let himself relax.

"Ah! There you are, Near. I've been looking for you."

"Hello Roger," the boy said as the plane did another dip through imaginary clouds.

"Hello. Listen, can we talk?"

Near propped the toy up on the end of the banister and turned toward the man, "I'm listening."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Ah, Mello! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

The boy, whose back had been turned, instantly slammed his book shut and dropped it to his side. He hid the cover with his hand, trying to make it as smooth and relaxed as possible.

"Hey Roger."

"Well, what are we reading today?"

Mello was sure that the man was just making conversation, but he still turned toward the voice in such a way that he was almost sitting on the book, "Oh nothing. What did you need?"

The obvious cover up and conversation deflection went right over Roger's head and he continued on, "Well then, I'd like a word with you, if you don't mind…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"He _what_!?" Matt shouted. The shock must have been too much for him because the game in his hands had just made a sound obviously related to utter failure and death, but it went unnoticed. "You're kidding, right?"

"Do I _look _like I'm frikin' kidding?!"

Matt knew better than to even begin to try and answer that. He took this pause in conversation to save and shut down his game. He grumbled inaudibly about his character's unfortunate end, but only for a moment. There were more important things to be dealt with right now. Like subduing Mello's urge to kill.

"Alright, so let me get this straight. Roger's sending you…"

"To some stupid isolation camp," Mello said forcing clothes into a suitcase that needed more than a little convincing to get closed.

"Right… What?"

The blonde scowled, "I'm supposed to be alone in a cabin in the woods for an 'undetermined'amount of weeks. Sounds like fun, huh?"

"But why?"

"Roger says that it's some kind of lesson on patience and solitude."

"…Well maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, you get to go _away _from here. Be free, no school, no chores, or homework. You can't tell me that won't be awesome. When was the last time you left this place anyways…?"

Mello looked down as he picked up the last item to be packed. The tattered book felt cold in his hands. He shoved it into his bag. It _had _been a very long time since he'd left these walls. Wammy's was where he grew up, where he stayed. There was no where else in the world that seemed to welcome him. Why _should _he want to go anywhere else?

"Matt shut up."

His friend fell silent. Mello obviously wasn't going to agree with him. So, in a last effort to cheer him up, Matt opened the drawer on his bedside stand and pulled out a few bars of chocolate.

"Back up reserves. I'd been saving them in case you went into withdraws and started to go insane. I've learned that these are the number one sedatives for killing your anger… and I think you should take them with you."

"Thanks," Mello said, taking the candy, "I'm gonna need them."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Good morning, Mello."

"Don't talk to me," the boy grumbled. He was already in a bad mood and the last thing he needed was Near bugging him.

The younger boy walked further out onto the front steps of the orphanage and sat down, unfortunately, too close to Mello. Without looking up the blonde put one hand on the boys shoulder and pushed, causing Near to slide off the steps and down a few feet into the bushes.

"Ah!"

"Don't sit by me either."

There was a moment's pause in which Mello took a few more bites out of his chocolate bar and wondered vaguely if he would have enough for the whole trip. Matt often referred to him as a chocoholic. This was nothing new. His chocolate was like a drug. If he ran out… be somewhere else.

"What's this?" Said a voice and Mello turned to see Roger looming above him, but he wasn't looking in his direction. Actually he was looking off the side of the steps, "What happened here?"

Mello felt the corner of his lip go down. Shit. He took a chance to look over.

Near was still laying sprawled out in a rather large bush; one leg up right, one sunk in, left arm out and right hand, as always, twirling a lock of stark white hair.

"I'm stuck."

Roger didn't bother looking at Mello. There was no need to fix the boy with a hard glare; he already knew what he'd done. Instead the man clambered down the stairs and took Near by the hand, pulling him roughly from his twiggy prison.

"Ow," Near said, pushing up the sleeve of a shirt that _had _been perfectly white a few moments ago, only to see that a few new scratches had formed on his arms. How a scratch can occur through the clothes was beyond his knowledge, but he would be sure to fill in that gap later. "That was an experience that I'll have to be sure not to repeat."

Mello muttered curses under his breath.

"Alright then, you boys ready?" Roger asked calmly.

"Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean 'you boys'? He's not…" Mello pointed harshly at the boy to his left.

"I'm ready," Near said robotically.

Mello began to grind his teeth, "No, Roger! No. I'm not going anywhere with _him_. No! Out of the question!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	2. A cabin in the woods, perfect for murder

"Ouch!" Near shouted, rubbing the forming bruise on his arm. He looked up at Mello questioningly.

"I told you, _don't _sit by me."

"Where else am I supposed to sit?" The car was large, but there were only three seats back here and Mello had chosen to sit smack dab in the middle.

"I dunno. The roof?"

Roger poked his head into the opening, "Slide over Mello and keep your hands to yourself."

Typical. Adults always said the same things. Don't hit. Don't run indoors. Don't light fire to Near's hair. It was all so typical.

The doors slammed shut and the engine started as they pulled from the drive. Mello watched as his home faded away into the distance.

"Want to play a car game?"

The blonde's eyes rolled over to glare at Near, "No."

"I know some good ones. I looked them up in the library before we came, just in case."

"I'm seriously thinking about throwing you out of this cab."

Near reached into his bag and pulled out a robot, "Did you know that the word taxi is spelled the same in English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch, _and _Portuguese?"

"Help me," Mello whispered, banging his head against the door, "Someone kill me now."

The robot now soared through the air outside of the window and Near, completely disregarding his companions aggravation, stated, "Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour, but it's not the best way to work off all those chocolate bars."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"This is it? _This _is where I'm supposed to spend the next few weeks?!"

Mello looked around in horror. The cabin was largish really, but there wasn't much else about it that could be said in its favor. There were two beds, small and dusty, with two desks alongside each. As far as other furniture went there was a small loveseat in the corner facing nothing. In fact if you sat in it the only thing you would probably have a good view of was the bathroom. This was not going to work

"No. There's been a mistake."

"No mistake," said the woman in a cheerful, yet extremely irritating, voice, "This is your cabin. Cabin 3. Every cabin is full and this one was assigned to the pair of you. Would you like to see the registry?"

If she says _cabin _one more time… Mello clenched his teeth, changing tactics, "At least make it just _mine_. Come on, you can't leave me here with… _that_."

Near walked calmly over and placed first his small suitcase, and then his massive hard case full of toys, onto the bed on the left. He sneezed inaudibly when the dust he stirred reached his nose.

Hatred and anger were plastered on Mello's face, "Actually a registry would be just _great_. Maybe I can find a solution to this… problem…"

The woman smiled in what looked to be a sweetly sadistic manner as she turned and left the room, "Remember to stay in your cabin."

In the corner of the room, Near began to unload his various toys and set them up on the shelf above his bed. Mello watched in disgust as he meticulously placed the each toy, arranging them first by size and then by color. It was sad really.

Mello trudged over to the other bed. He looked down at it for a moment. The green blanket was stained, dirty. He wasn't a particularly neat and tidy person himself, but he at least wanted things to be _sanitary_.

"Ugh."

He turned completely around then, dropping his suitcase down on the bed opposite him, right on top of the toys yet to be stacked. The smaller boy gave a slight yelp, but whether it was from surprise or the fact that the bag seemed to have just decapitated one of his favorite toys, even he didn't know.

"Mello… my, uh, toys…"

"I want this bed."

Near reached up to twirl his hair, "I…"

"Move," the blonde demanded as he forced him aside. With one sweeping motion he knocked every toy from the shelf and the bed onto the floor, "You sleep over there now."

And he laid down on the mattress possessively, daring anyone to try and take it from him. No one here did.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was quite, but Near wasn't sure how he really felt about it. He was used to being alone, that was true, but he _wasn't _alone, was he? Right there, across the room, was Mello. He was still grumbling to himself, muttering something about _murder to all_.

"I have extra toys," Near said, breaking the silence.

Mello looked up at him, giving him a devilish glare, "Yeah, so?"

"Well… you can play with them if you want."

The older boy snorted, "What am I, _five_? No I don't play with your stupid toys! Play with them your own damn self. Just leave me alone, will ya?"

Near shrugged as he crouched lower over his card tower. It had been three days. By now it was painfully obvious to both boys that they weren't going to get out of this anytime soon. They saw no one but the counselor and each other. When they said _isolation _they meant it.

"What's the frikin' point to this anyways?! Why are we here!?"

The boy looked up from his cards, hit by the sudden shout, "…Roger says-"

"I don't care what Roger says! Roger's full of crap!" Mello paused for a moment, but continued on grudgingly, "What do _you _think?"

Near's tower fell over, "I'm sorry?"

"Oh come on! Don't pull that crap with me; I know you heard me the first time. I've been racking my brain for two days and keep coming up flat."

"Well you know that your anger affects your reasoning abilities," Near stated calmly, "It would be easier to see your goal if you weren't clouded with emotion."

A pillow hit him hard in the back of the head, and Near jolted forward in place. He turned to look at it. Then he turned to Mello, throwing the pillow back onto the bed.

"Was that helpful?"

The pillow hit him in the face this time. Mello smirked.

Near lifted it from the ground and went to throw it up there again, but thought better of it. He laid it flat on the floor and placed his robot across the top.

"Answer the question," his companion demanded.

The card tower began to grow again, "The reasoning is obvious, isn't it? They're trying to bond us. To make us work together as one."

Mello spun around and grabbed a fresh bar of chocolate from his end table, biting off a huge chunk, "You can't be serious."

"You've come to the same conclusion."

It was true. The older boy had, in fact, thought of this already. His mind had just automatically rejected it. He hadn't wanted to believe it.

"It's not gonna work," he stated harshly, "You and I will never be _one_."

The sixth layer of cards began to wobble slightly, and Near reached out a hand to steady them, "Then we might be here a while."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lightning flashed brightly through the window.

"One… tw-"

Thunder shook the floor boards. Near jumped in shock. He pressed himself further into the cushions of the couch.

"Mello, it's less than two miles away! The storm's getting closer!"

"Ugh! Be quiet," said the other boy. He repositioned himself into a more comfortable position on the bed, pulling the book in closer to his face. "I'm reading."

"But look how dark it is out already! The clouds are building really fast! What if the power goes out?!"

Resting the urge to strangle his roommate, Mello spat, "Then we'll be sitting in the dark, won't we?"

Another crack split the night and Near jumped, his foot colliding with a box of Lego's that spilled loudly across the hard wood floor.

"Ah! Did you hear that?!"

Mello's head fell back against the headboard, "Of course I heard it, moron, it's not like I'm deaf. Though I will be if you don't stop screaming."

"I can't help it. It's really loud…"

"Why don't you try doing something to distract you," Mello suggested. He'd suggest just about anything right now if it would make Near shut up, "You know, get your mind off the storm."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Play with your toys."

Near looked over at his assortment. He'd brought plenty to keep him busy, but they didn't seem very appealing right now. He forced himself onto the floor none-the-less and started to create a fortress for his robot to protect it from the storm.

Another bolt struck and this time Near actually toppled forward onto his fortress, the pieces scattering beneath him.

"This isn't working. I can still hear the storm."

Mello pressed his nose into the book, trying to pretend he was so absorbed in it that he didn't hear. It wasn't going to work. It hadn't worked the last three times he'd tried to read this sentence. Not that it mattered. He'd read it so many times he knew what it said.

Near inched slowly toward him, "Um…"

The blonde glanced up warily. Why was Near getting closer? _"What?"_

"Well… the storm is too loud. Could you… maybe…"

If looks could kill… Near would have died a slow and painful death before he reached the edge of the bed.

"Could you read to me?

"What?!"

"Just to block out the sounds!"

Mello looked down at the book in his hands… Why was he holding _this _book when Near asked him such a stupid question? What if he tried to look at it? If he just glanced close enough to see the scribbled handwriting…

"Piss off."

"You don't want me to see what you're reading," Near stated, his voice a little weak from the storm.

"You talk too much when you're scared, you know that?"

The boy shrugged, "I voice my fears only when I'm attempting to minimize them. By concentrating intently on the words that I hear they become hard fact to me. Easier to analyze and block out."

The lights suddenly flickered and died, sending the boys into pure darkness. Mello felt the bed shift as Near clambered onto it in fear. At least he hadn't screamed this time.

"Shit," Mello grunted. He snapped the book closed and plopped it onto the bedside table perfectly, despite the dark. "I just can't catch a break, can I?"

He waited for some sort of response from the know-it-all at the end of the bed, but he had grown surprisingly quiet all of the sudden. Mello lay down, stretching his feet out under the covers, and kicked Near off of the bed.

"Go to sleep. When you wake up the storm will be over and you can stop bugging me."

A flash of lighting caused dark shadows to play across room, across Near. The boy was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled to his chest and his back against his bed. His face was blocked out, hidden behind his hands.

Mello rolled his eyes, but honestly he felt a little bad for Near. He was away from his normal surroundings, cast out into the middle of no where, with a boy who very obviously hated him and now this stupid storm had him almost in tears.

"Would you stop already? Take a breath or two. It's not like you're gonna die."

"C-Can I sleep with you?"

Mello's head fell forward a little in surprise, "Huh?"

Another flash showed fear on the boy's face. Was that even possible?

"Do you have to? Seriously, is it absolutely necessary? Can't you just, I don't know, find a suitable teddy bear to cling to?"

More silence.

"Shit, first I couldn't get you to shut up and now you won't say a damn thing."

"…"

"Whatever! Just don't touch me, don't look at me, and don't get under my covers. Got it? Oh, and don't even think about crying. I don't want to be rolling around in your tears all night."

Near wasn't going to wait for him to change his mind. He jumped to his feet and scrambled onto the bed. He could feel Mello's warmth left on the spot where he'd laid, but now the older boy had forced himself up against the wall.

"Now _go to sleep_!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	3. Near's Mistake

A stabbing pain shot through Mello's back as he rolled over, "What the-"

Near was shoved from the bed and onto the floor with a hard crash, waking him roughly from his sleep. His eyes shot open, but remained blank and emotionless as he righted himself and leaned on the far bed, looking up at his attacker.

A robot hit him in the chest.

"This is not a good thing to wake up on. I'm sure my back will be bruised thanks to you and your stupid toys."

Near thought about reminding Mello of all the bruises that _he'd_ caused. Instead he watched as the boy strode toward the bathroom in silent fury. There wasn't really anything he could say, but his logical side had already decided that doing so would have been a bad idea anyways.

He glanced out of the window and for a very slight moment his lip turned down. The rain was still pouring, though the thunder and lightning had fizzled out. With any luck things would remain calm.

In silence he started over to his toys, but he didn't make it far when a sudden thought struck him. He turned back toward the beds, one hand reaching to twist his hair mischievously.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mello strode from the bathroom, his hands ruffling his wet hair, "Near, if you're going to use all the towels at least hang one up to…"

His voice sputtered out as he glanced up to see Near standing nonchalantly at _his _bedside table, with _his _book open in pale white hands!

"What the hell are you doing!?"

Oh he was dead. He was beyond dead. He was going to be mutilated and buried somewhat alive in the woods outside.

"Where did this come from?" Near asked calmly. If he was affected by its contents he didn't show it. He was just as flat as every other infuriating moment of his life. "Have you always had this?"

Mello ran forward and snatched the book away. He tucked into the back of his pants, leaving his hands free as he reached out and grabbed Near by the hair. He dragged him forward, across the floor, kicking toys away as he went.

Near wasn't sure which was more worrisome; the murderous look on his assailant's face or the pounding rain outside of the door. He fell to the ground in front of the cabin and stood up.

Breathing heavily, the older boy stood in the door frame. Now there was a smear of grief across his face that blended horribly with the anger. Before Near could breathe a word of protest, the door slammed shut.

Mello pressed his back against it and felt his knees begin to give way beneath him. The book caught against the wood as he went down, pulling it from his pants, and it fell open to the floor with thud. His eyes turned to it angrily.

…_and I held him in my arms for the first time. My son…_

"Damn you!" He shouted, slamming the cover closed. It seemed worn, like it'd been through its fair share of misery. "Why did you leave me!?"

He put his hand flat against the surface and slid it across the wood floor. He knew that he wasn't addressing the book, but the book was there, present to be yelled at. He pulled his knees up and glared at it, grimacing when he felt his own nails dig into his calves.

"I don't need you!" He screamed at it again, his voice giving out, "I don't…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The downpour was getting thicker, coating Near in misery. If he'd given it a second thought, he'd have been irritated by the fact that his shirt clung to his chest, slightly darkened by the weight of the rain. As it was all he cared about was how to get back into that cabin, _before _the storm picked up again.

He'd given up the idea of pounding on the door. All that would do was make Mello even angrier. Which, surprisingly, _was _possible. Near knew; he'd worked the percentages.

He walked, sloshed really, along the edge of the cabin and tried to ignore the ooze that was seeping through his socks.

Bushes pressed against his back as he slid closer still to the cabin to get by them. The twigs caught in the fabric, pulling him back roughly. Near tried to turn, grabbing at the fabric and pulling. The shirt made a tearing sound as he ripped from the bush, the momentum of his tries sending him face down into the mud.

"Near!?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

He forced himself to stand at last, wiping the unwanted tears from his cheeks. The book was still laying coldly on the floor and he walked past it to lay on the bed. His hair was finally dry, tousled by the towel and aired out over time. How long had it been since the shower? Since he'd thrown Near out the door?

There was a sudden roll of thunder and Mello laid his hand over his face. He knew that his rival was out in the rain. There was no where else for him to go really. The main cabin would be quite a walk from here; besides he didn't have the guts to leave this area. Especially with his fear of the storm. Mello knew it.

He rolled over onto his stomach, his hands draped over a pillow with his chin resting on them. From here he could clearly see the storm pick up pace outside the window. Droplets were making harsh _pang _noises as they hit the glass.

"Fine!" He shouted, probably to his conscience, as he strode across the room, "I'm bored anyways!"

Mello pulled the door open and was assaulted with an on slosh of water as it tried to find its way into the cabin. "Come on dumb-ass. Get in here."

He waited for a minute, but there was no response. He turned around and grabbed a space man off the floor, walking back to the door. "Oh Near! I'm going to pull the head off of Captain _Jack-Off_…"

Posing his hand threateningly over the head of the toy, Mello began to worry. That should've done it. Even if Near was being stupid and stubborn, Captain Blast-Off was a one-of-a-kind; it was irreplaceable.

Mello let his grip loose and put his hands on the frame of the door, leaning out just far enough to feel the rain pound his blonde hair into place.

"Near?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	4. It's time

The main room was huge. Much bigger than their cabin's really and much nicer built. Near was laying sprawled on the sofa, feeling the heat of the fire lick at his heels.

"Where are my socks?" He asked calmly as he rubbed his bare feet together. They were uncomfortable. Awkward.

"I'm washing them," the counselor replied.

"Will they be white?"

"As white as they can be."

"So… off white then."

"…I suppose."

"I'll get new ones."

The woman stood, brushing distain from her pants as if it was dirt. Near knew that he had irritated her. Why was everyone always so angry with him? If he was quiet, they got mad. If he spoke, they got mad. What was he _supposed _to do?

The sounds of the storm were getting louder above his head and he pulled his feet in close, ignoring the flames now. He squeezed his hands against them to warm them instead.

"So…" the counselor started as she poured another cup of hot tea.

Near knew where she was going with this already. He cut her off so he wouldn't have to hear her grading voice again, "Yes; he threw me out. I was doing something I wasn't supposed to do, and no, I won't tell you what."

She stopped on her walk back across the room and closed her eyes. Yep. She was definitely frustrated. He had a way of doing that. People always got frustrated with facts.

"Knowing Mello the chance of his anger having subsided to a safe level by now is about eighty-six percent; ninety-one if he has chocolate. So I can probably go back without any serious worries." Maybe some not-so-serious worries though. "Could I get a ride?"

Her eyes were still closed, squeezed so tightly that there were wrinkles on her forehead. It didn't make much sense really. She got frustrated a lot faster than most. He wondered if it was because she was too simple minded to take in the facts that quickly or if she just didn't really like her job… There were high odds of both.

She eased herself into a chair that he was positive was quite a bit farther than the one she had been aiming for a moment ago, "He locked you out…"

"Mello doesn't needlocks to keep someone out."

"I see…"

"Do you?" He asked.

"Yes!" She snapped.

Near sat back a little, but he wasn't shocked; he was just very bored with the conversation. He needed something to fiddle with. All of his toys were back at the cabin and he felt _very _fidgety with nothing in his hands.

"Do you have any toys?"

"No."

"What about cards?"

"_No."_

"Maybe-"

"Come on!" She shouted and he followed her out the door.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Mello was sitting on the bed with Captain Blast-Off in his hands as he thought. It was obvious that Near wasn't right outside anymore, but if he'd ventured off on his own… would he get lost? No… Near was too precise to have miscalculated the way back, even if he couldn't figure out where he was going… He wasn't being stubborn; his efforts would have faltered long ago. The only explanation that Mello felt he could believe was… maybe he was hurt. Maybe he'd gone out to find his way to the main cabin after all and tripped and broke his leg or something…

It'd be like him wouldn't it? He'd probably be expecting Mello to go out there and save him too! Well he wasn't about to play into _Near's _hands. Let him get himself out of this mess.

Mello threw the toy back onto the ground amidst all of the others. There were so many. He found himself strangely drawn to them as he knelt down. It wasn't because they were toys; it was just that they were all so… different. Every one of these toys was different from the one next to it. There was the astronaut, the cowboy, the action hero; a set of dinosaurs, robots; there were even a few boats and cars.

"How many damn toys do you need, Near?"

He looked up. Near wasn't there to answer. He growled to himself inwardly, but his eyes continued staring out of the still open door.

Finally he stood, "Stupid twit. I'm gonna get all soaked and you probably won't even give a shit that I came all the way out there to save your ass. I swear, I will smother you in your sleep if you're just walking around out there trying to piss me off…"

"I never intend to make you angry, Mello," Near stated as he walked into the room. He stood there for a moment letting what little water _hadn't_ absorbed into his clothes now fall to the floor.

Mello felt his eye do something weird and he prayed that it wasn't some sort of permanent twitch or some crap like that. His hands went up into a strangling position on their own as he began to grind his teeth.

"_You _are so-"

The counselor chose that moment to appear, shaking her rather large umbrella outside of the door. Before she could turn and say anything, Near cut in.

"Are you aware that if your umbrella is still outside when you do that, it is still in the rain and still gathering water?"

The look on her face made Mello finally feel like he wasn't the only one that wanted to kill this boy. His hands lowered anyways. Chances are if she saw the urge to kill in his eyes things could only get worse when it came time to dole out punishments.

She turned to him then, trying her hardest to ignore the younger boy. The trip here had been enough to make her rethink her job, her prospects of reproducing _and _her will to live. She did, in fact, feel like strangling him too.

"Alright then, Mello. Want to explain what's going on here?"

Mello brushed a hand through his hair as he thought. He could go with the witty answer or he could be polite… Polite had never been his strong suit. "As of this moment we are standing in the cold, letting the water slosh into the already damp cabin. If you would back out and shut the door maybe we won't all get hypothermia. After all, you wouldn't want two young children such as us to go back home and report that this camp had a knack for making you deathly ill, would you?"

"It's true," Near stated, "Our body temperature is going down as we speak. At this rate we'd-"

The door slammed shut. There was a slight splintering sound from it; after all it had taken quite a bit of abuse today.

Mello turned to his roommate, "Thanks for the backup."

"Our chances of getting out of punishment were higher that way."

"Right, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to kill you."

"I expected not."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Near was half asleep in the bathtub when he heard the shuffle of feet just outside the cabin. The counselor had long since given up talking to them, but she still delivered their food, merely knocking on the door before running back to her cart. How would they even know when or if he and Mello actually got along?

He clambered out of the tub, his socked feet almost slipping on the tile, but he regained his composure before knocking on the inside of the bathroom door.

"Mello?"

"What?"

"Can I come out now? I'm restless."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

Near looked around the room, twirling his hair as he thought. There really was no reason for the older boy to let him out. He had nothing to offer; their tastes were so dissimilar.

"Can I at least have something to eat?" There was silence outside in the main room. "Mello?"

The door opened and a hand reached in, grabbing him by the shirt. He was roughly dragged over and thrown onto the couch.

"Sit there and shut up."

A hamburger was thrust in his face and he took it gratefully. As he chewed the food he reverted back into his silence. He was out of the bathroom. That was something.

Mello sat back down at the desk and resumed his sketching. The face he had been trying to draw was beginning to look a little rough. He always had trouble with the eyes. They were too… intricate. He just couldn't pass them off, make them simple. They had to hold the emotion that he saw.

"Damn it," he snarled as he crumpled the paper, throwing it over his shoulder. He snapped the pencil in half, throwing it too.

"Ow."

"Shut up," Mello said in annoyance.

Near looked closely at the boy and then back down at the paper. He was tempted. So _very _tempted, but at the same time this is what had gotten him into trouble the first time. Even so he couldn't let it go.

He reached out and grabbed the ball of paper, slowly unwrapping it. He looked down at the picture and asked calmly, "You can draw?"

"No. Obviously. You can't even tell who it is."

"It's Matt."

Mello turned around, "Huh?"

"Well," Near said, turning the picture around to face the artist, "It's very detailed. You can tell it's him. Look at the flow of the hair and the shaping of the chin. There's no mistaking it."

The blonde strode across the room and took the paper, "Yeah? You think so?"

"I do," the other replied, taking another bite of his lunch.

"Huh."

"Can you draw me?"

Mello looked over, "What?"

"I said: can you draw me? You know I've really always wondered how people see me. A mirror shows the exact reflection, but an artist rendering often shows the artist's actual opinion. It's strange really."

A smirk formed on Mello's lips, "Are you sure you wouldn't mind being drawn with a noose around your neck?"

Near finished his meal and pulled his leg up onto the couch, resting his hand on it, "If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"No. I don't want to."

With a moment's hesitation, Near lowered himself onto the floor and tentatively picked up a toy. He tried his hardest not to look up to see if the attack was coming, but after a moment Mello moved back the desk where he grabbed a fresh pencil and commenced to cursing the paper. That was good. Maybe three days in the bathroom had been enough after all.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The book was still laying on the floor, but now it was under the bed. Mello hadn't really looked at it since that whole incident with Near. It was like a monster down there. A monster under the bed that was just waiting for the right moment to swallow him whole. He was trying hard to forget it existed.

"Vroom… Vroooommmm! Errrr! Pshew!" Near muttered as his car crashed into the dominoes stack and it all tumbled down around it. He pushed the car to the side, lining it up with the others, and began to rebuild the tower.

Mello was laying face down on the bed, which seemed to be the only place here that actually felt a little like home, listening to the sounds of play around him. Oddly enough it had stopped driving him nuts after the third week.

"This officially sucks," he said into the pillow.

"I would have to agree," Near stated as he stood and strode over to his own bed, "But they aren't paying close attention to us. In fact all of the encounters between us seem to have been overlooked, which leads me to believe that there are no cameras in this room at all."

"Yeah, I noticed that too, but just because they aren't obvious doesn't mean they aren't here at all. Think about it, all of the crap between us is mild… at least in comparison with the stuff from the past. Even if we were back at Wammy's, I would barely get sent to my room for that stuff." He stood up and walked over to sit next to Near, leaning in close, "So we have to be very careful. We don't know whose watching or _listening_."

Near nodded in agreement, whispering, "You're the mastermind when it comes to this stuff."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	5. Woods

"And you're sure that you know how to get there? We don't want to be wandering around in the woods for the rest of eternity."

"I'm sure. The cabin is exactly two point four miles to the west if we travel through the woods. I'm positive."

Mello bent down lower to the ground and rummaged through his bag. Everything seemed to be in order here. All of his favorite clothes were perfectly in place. The last of his chocolate bars were wrapped somewhere in their midst; though he had two in his pocket now, just in case. His folder of random _crappy _sketches was pushed flat against the side.

"Alright, we-"

There was a book in his face. The black cover was even more worn now than it had been just a few weeks ago. He felt his throat tighten at the sight of it.

"You forgot this."

"I didn't _forget _anything," Mello snarled, forcing past Near's outstretched arm as he strode forward.

Near pulled the book in closer to him, and stared at it, "What are you going to do with it?"

"Leave it."

"Leave it… _here_?"

"Yeah."

The younger boy slid a finger against the cover, feeling how loose the binding really was. He reached to open it, but a hand fell on top of his, forcing it closed again.

"Drop it," Mello said, fighting the keep the emotion out of his voice.

"I don't think-"

Mello locked the boy with a dagger-edged stare, "I don't care what you think. Or what you don't think. _Drop _the damn book."

The older boy didn't wait to make sure it happened. He turned on his heels and stomped toward the far door. Near felt the weight of the book in his hands. He knew what power it held over Mello. The bond in the pages was worn, but that didn't mean that the bond of the heart was as well.

Near stepped forward, placing the book, the last remains of Miheal's past, neatly on the bedside table as he turned toward the exit.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Shh!"

"Why are you shushing me? We're alone in the middle of the woods."

"Because I'm really tired of your irritating voice, alright? Now shut up!"

Near looked down at his feet. They felt strange and heavy. Mello had made him put shoes on. He'd said that they would keep him from getting hurt and slowing him down.

"These things are really heavy."

Mello ignored him.

"Why is it that shoes are considered such a necessity? I could see how they could come in handy if you were doing things like we are now, but exactly how often does the normal person trek through the woods? Shouldn't _they _be the only ones required to wear shoes? I mean, going into stores and what-not, why should you have to? What do you think?"

"I think you are getting way too comfortable with me."

"Perhaps." There was a brief pause. "Can I sit a minute? These shoes are very uncomfortable."

Mello slowed to a stop and sat down on a log close by, "Those are not _uncomfortable_. I have those nice and broken in, so don't mess them up!"

Near sat down as well, pulling the boot higher toward his knee. They looked odd; the black so bold against the white of his leg, his pants. He tilted the toe toward himself to look at it, feeling his foot slide until his heel hit the back.

"Why do _you _wear shoes?"

"I don't, I wear boots."

"Why do you wear boots?"

"Because they're sturdier and they look cool."

"You don't think that regular shoes look cool?"

"Not really. They're too plain. I need something different."

"Mello, why are you indulging me in my questions?"

He stopped the steady chew of his chocolate bar and looked up at the younger boy. He was twirling his white hair innocently, obviously waiting for an actual reply. Mello didn't know what to tell him. Why _was _he indulging Near? Normally he wouldn't even be acknowledging his presence, much less carrying on a conversation with him.

Mello stood up and began to force himself through the woods again.

Near scrambled onto his feet and started to follow, "What'd I say?"

"How much farther?"

"If we continue at this pace, an hour at the most," Near wheezed as he struggled to keep up, "But if we continue at this pace, I have to warn you that I won't make it all the way there."

"And that would be a bad thing?"

"It will be once you get back to Wammy's."

Mello spun around so suddenly that Near ran into him, falling into the twigs, "What are you telling me, Near? They'll want their wonder-boy back, won't they? But what if I told them that precious little _Near _was eaten by a bear? Huh? Or that you ran off into the woods and I followed you, but never found you?"

Near looked up, slightly shaken, "I-"

"Get up."

The younger boy stood slowly, warily eyeing Mello's back as he walked further on. He brushed leaves from his back and hair as he tried to catch up. They walked on for a moment in silence before Near spoke up again.

"Mello, you wouldn't really try to kill me, would you?"

"No, Near, I wouldn't _try_."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	6. Wait What?

'There it is. Up ahead." He pointed with a ghostly white hand at the clearing that was coming into view.

"Well, first step done. Here comes the hard part," Mello turned to Near, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Don't forget to keep a look out. No matter what, stick to the plan."

Near started to get a little nervous as his mind wandered back to the whole _bear _thing, "What exactly are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to hurt anyone, if that's what you're thinking," Mello stated as he dropped his hands and moved out of the woods, "I save that kind of thing for you."

Trying to figure out if he felt reassured or not, Near quickly followed. The grounds were quiet, but neither of them was really surprised. This was an isolation camp after all; it wouldn't make sense if there was a bunch of people socializing in the courtyard.

Mello was not worried at all… Well not _really_. He'd pulled off many schemes in his day, but usually his partner in crime was Matt. Granted Matt had a tendency of tripping over himself or making a little too much noise, but at least he knew how to be a look out.

"Go back, dumb-ass!" He snarled, turning to push Near back into the woods, "Just make sure no one sees me, alright?"

Near crouched back down into the bushes. Yeah, sure, make sure no one sees him. He made it sound easy. It didn't help that Mello was stomping across the ground as if he owned the place. You would think that he was at least slink along the side of a building or something!

The room that lay behind the door of the biggest building turned out to be nothing but a rather large eatery. Mello growled angrily, the sound echoing off the bare walls.

"Of course! But I couldn't come _here _to eat the gravel pancakes and polar hot dogs! Oh, no, I had to stay locked in a frickin' tomb with the marshmallow wanna-be and his freaky ass toy collection!"

The office couldn't be in there after all. There hadn't been enough doors. A kitchen and one bathroom at most. This whole place could use a serious update. He turned from that building quickly.

Without really stopping, Mello took in his surroundings. To his right where the woods and he grimaced at the poof of white hair that he could vaguely see there; behind him was the caff; to his left was a rather worn looking truck pulled roughly up next to a small shed; and dead ahead was the one cabin that he'd seen this whole trip that looked like it was suitable to be lived in.

"Great," he muttered as he started toward the woods again, "Just great."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Near stumbled forward with the force of the push and he caught himself just before he smacked his head against the door. He wanted to turn back, to tell Mello that this wouldn't work, but he knew it was no use. He'd just be standing right back here a five minutes later with a few more bruises.

He knocked softly on the door, standing as close to it as he could, just as he was told to do. There was a sound behind the wood and he could almost feel the irritation radiating through it when the woman obviously couldn't see him through the peephole.

Slowly, almost cautiously, the door opened.

"Oh no."

"Why do you have a peephole?" Near began. "Doesn't a peephole imply that you frequent enough guests to need entry control or that someone unsafe might be knocking on your door that you might be able to avoid…?"

He pushed past her, a little unsteadily with the boots that were struggling to stay on his feet. The woman pressed herself back against the open door as if one touch from him would burn her skin.

"What are you-?"

"This cabin seems strangely tidy. Is there any particular reason why the standards for client cabins and management cabins are so differed?"

Near was shuffling further and further toward the back. As he went he grabbed a random item from a decorative table, lifting it in her direction as she clambered to retrieve it from his grasp.

"Wait! No!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Near registered the otherwise unnoticed boy sneaking into the wide open door of the cabin and he turned to walk into the bedroom. Plopping the ceramic duck onto the soft comforter, he continued with his bombardment.

"I noticed that there is only one bed and one cabin on this part of the grounds. I find it highly interesting, and yet unlikely, that just one woman, such as yourself, can run this entire camp alone. Is there something that you're hiding?"

The woman stopped her struggle with the duck, "W-What?"

The boy squinted slightly; the only sign of the surprise that he felt. At first he'd just been talking, but now… "When we were first brought into this camp you mentioned a registry, but despite Mello's request we were never shown one."

Now she even looked slightly nervous, "There is nothing that requires me to show you a registry."

"You offered."

"Well the offer was withdrawn."

Near reached a hand into his hair, "Was it withdrawn or without basis?"

"Excuse me?"

"I only mean to ask if there are even any other campers at this camp. I've yet to see one other child here."

The counselor laughed uncomfortably, "This is an isolation camp. Of course you haven't seen any others."

"Yes, but just because I was isolated doesn't mean I was unaware. I've traveled the grounds of this camp several times now and I don't recall even seeing the other cabins that you've spoken of."

"They're all set back into the woods, just like yours," she said, trying desperately to relieve the pressure in her brain as she rubbed forcefully against her forehead, "Why all of the questions?! I've got one for you! Why aren't you in your cabin right now?!"

Behind her, a hand poked in from around the corner displaying a thumbs-up signal. Near noted it instantly, without looking away from the woman's face.

He smiled, the look strange, unfamiliar on his face, "My being here bothers you very much, doesn't it?"

"I thought you said you weren't unaware."

"Rhetorical," he said, "But I'll return to my cabin now."

She paused then. Her mind was trying to process, to take in his sharp words and try to decide if he really meant what he was saying. She snapped back, "You're good with figures. What are the odds of you actually going to your cabin? Right _now_?"

"There is a ninety-nine point seven percent chance. That's roughly taking into account the unknowns of life, of course."

"Is there any possible way you could do that without me having to take you?"

"I'd prefer it. Your cart, though efficient for your needs and easy to maintain, is not comfortable in the least. I'll go now."

And he turned and left the room. He could hear her sputtering as he walked out of the cabin.

Mello grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him out of the doorway, as he closed off the exit. He started to entwine a strong wire around the doorknob and the sign nailed to the cabin wall.

"That should keep. I don't think she's very strong," Mello said, "Come on."

Near looked back as he followed his companion back toward the shed, "Do you think that's a good idea? As you said, it's unlikely that she can get out, even after we're gone."

"Don't worry," the older boy said as he opened the rusted door of the truck and climbed into the driver's seat, "We'll call someone to let her out once we're far enough away."

All worries about her did pass, but as Near stood staring at his rival behind the wheel of the powerful machine new, more frightening, worries began to form.

Mello ripped open a fresh bar of the purest dark chocolate in his collection. He was definitely going to need something extra special to get him through this one. "Don't just stand there gawking; get in. Now."

Near was going to need a lot more than chocolate.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


	7. Is it over?

Knowing that every student in Wammy's probably heard him yelling didn't stop him from doing it. Mello tried to capture it all in his head, "So you're telling me that this whole damn thing was a set up?!"

"Calm down," Roger said.

Near took a step back impulsively, but he spoke up too, "We spent thirty-two days in a cabin in the woods and you actually _wanted _us to escape?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Mello shouted, biting back swear words that he didn't know he knew.

"You worked together to solve the problem. Though I find your methods unorthodox and irresponsible," Roger sat down at his desk, "They were thorough. According to the camp records, you two never even attended…"

Mello still had their crumpled files in his backpack. Near's distraction had given him plenty of time to sneak into the office and retrieve them.

"…There are no toys, books, papers, clothes; nothing to prove that anyone's been in that cabin for years. We didn't exactly check for fingerprints, but one look and anyone would pass it off as deserted…"

_No _books? Mello's mind registered the fact fleetingly through the red clouding his thoughts.

"It was quite unsanitary to begin with," Near piped in again, "So even the dust we tracked in when we went back to retrieve our things only added to the image. I agree that it worked quite well."

Mello threw a book from a nearby shelf at him, "You're not helping!"

Roger stood up, "Though, stealing a car was _not _something that I would have condoned, much less leaving its whereabouts unknown."

The boy rolled his eyes, but held his tongue watching the frustration build up inside the man. What did he expect?! It's not like they could've driven it all the way here! It would have easily been traced back to Wammy's!

"You're not going to tell me either, are you?"

"No."

"I'll have to call the taxi service and find out where you were picked up then."

Mello smiled sweetly, "Good luck with that."

It was becoming inherently obvious that the boy was quite efficient with his plans. Far too efficient in the man's opinion. He would have said that this test backfired a bit, but those who made the test apparently found the results highly _satisfying_.

Sighing heavily, Roger muttered, "How you managed all of this is beyond me."

"It would be pointless to try to figure out," Near stated flatly.

"I suppose, all in all, you solved the problem," the man said, turning back to his work., "Together."

Mello felt the rage building up inside of him. Breaking something would have been immensely satisfying right now. "Well then, I guess you've succeeded as well in some strange way; you've officially altered my opinion…"

Even Near was waiting for the mockery to give way.

"I now not only despise Near, but also you, humanity and this entire sadist school!" Mello spat as he stormed from the room, "Congratulations!"

/\/\/\/\/\ Two Weeks Later /\/\/\/\/\

Mello was sitting on the floor, with his back pressed against the playroom wall and a clipboard of paper against his knees. The pencil moved smoothly against the paper, drawing the fine lines that he wanted.

Across the room Near was creating some sort of blockade with tissue boxes from the store room. Apparently his playfulness extended past toys.

The artist finished the last marks on the paper and held it up slightly for viewing.

"Can I see?" Near asked from across the room.

Mello looked up, sliding the clipboard back against his knees and out of sight.

"No," he said, but his voice was softer than normal.

He looked down at it again. Near was sitting there, lines on a paper that would hold him like this throughout time. There was something about the eyes. Something empty and yet flawlessly captured.

_Am I the only one who can add emotion to those eyes…?_


End file.
